It took a purchase of this Atavistic CD to give me the full lowdown on the band's late 70s/1980 output (their career, such that it was, ended when their bass player OD'ed). Some of it - most of it - is seriously bent rock-n-roll, very much a part of the "destroy music" aesthetic and a world away from most post-punk of the day. I can see very well how Lunch helped to inspire the group of drug-addled scruffs from Melbourne who became The Boys Next Door and later The Birthday Party. The swamp/scuzz sound of killer tracks like "Dead Me You" from their first single bleed right into what that latter band were doing only a year or two later on their more morose material. Lunch and her bands never connected all that much with me until right about now because I had a hard time unhooking her self-promoting sleazoid tuff girl persona from that befitting a serious maker of music; and I still think that the Teenage Jesus stuff - while admirable for its sonic attack - is mostly unlistenable tripe.
This is not. The track I'm posting for you today, "Love Split" is more skittering and wild - more classically no-wave - than a lot of the stuff on here, but I'm still pretty sure you're gonna like it. Let me know what you think - and whether some of the later Lunch material is worth my second listen, since I'm reconsidering her catalog and whatnot.
Play 8-Eyed Spy, "Love Split"
Download 8-Eyed Spy, "Love Split"
The last time I had the Atavistic Teenage Jesus comp, I lent it to a friend who wanted to hear "some dark shit" and hung himself within a month. Obviously correlation is not causation, but it's kept me from buying the disc again. I still recall certain standout tracks like "Orphans," though. I'm soft on Mars, but TJ+ the Js are definitely my favorite proper No Wave band - the Contortions are like the fucking b-52s of that genre, and DNA's folks promptly made better stuff with Zorn after the "moment" passed.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to some cool recommendations to come in this thread, though... 'Always wondered about later Lydia.
Did you ever hear 13:13 on Slash/Ruby with Dix Denney on guitar. Not unlike a "new wave" take of what she does - almost like an American version of "The Scream" era Banshee stuff in places. A little more no-wavy and tuneless. Of course, the Death Valley 69 single which I know you are so fond of.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPaSfHMJlTI
Thanks to you both; Jon, I've never heard 13:13, and though I probably once knew the Weirdos guys backed her up on it, I'd totally forgotten it. Thanks for the link. Lex, I full agree w/ you on Contortions, but encourage you to go as deep as you can on Mars. That's pretty much my favorite of the first-tier no wave acts.
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